Player Connections: D.C. United and Toronto FC

& Bobby Convey
Bobby Convey spent five seasons with the Black-and-Red, breaking the record for the youngest player to be signed by an MLS club when he was selected in the first round (12th overall) of the 2000 MLS SuperDraft at 16-years-old. Convey made 89 appearances (80 starts) for the Black-and-Red from 2000-05, scoring eight goals and adding 16 assists.

Dwayne De Rosario

& Toronto FC
Dwayne De Rosario spent three seasons with Toronto FC, having joined the club on 12/12/08 from the Houston Dynamo. De Rosario featured in 57 games for Toronto (53 starts), tallied 27 goals and added 10 assists before being traded to the New York Red Bulls on 4/1/11.

Taylor Kemp

& Kyle Bekker
Taylor Kemp’s Maryland Terrapins faced Kyle Bekker’s Boston College Eagles on five occasions during their college careers. Kemp (alongside teammates Casey Townsend and Ethan White) faced Bekker for the first time on 09/11/09, when Maryland won 2-0 with each player starting. Kemp (alongside Townsend and White) also started against Bekker on 09/10/10 as Maryland and Boston College played to a 1-1 draw after double overtime. Kemp (and Townsend) then faced Bekker twice in 2011, once on 09/09/11 and then again in the ACC quarterfinals on 11/08/11. On both occasions Maryland was victorious, getting a 4-0 win in the first game and winning 2-1 in the second. The players all started both games, with Kemp scoring one in the first. Finally, on 09/07/12 in both sides’ first conference (ACC) match of 2012, Maryland routed Boston College in a 4-0 victory, with both players starting the game.

& Joe Bendik
Taylor Kemp’s (and teammate Ethan White’s) Maryland Terrapins met Joe Bendik’s Clemson Tigers on 10/16/09. Maryland would come out on top in a 1-0 win, with Kemp providing the game-winning assist, with all three players starting the game.

Chris Korb

& Michael Thomas
Chris Korb and Michael Thomas faced each other once during their college careers, whole Korb played for Akron and Thomas represented Notre Dame. The game took place on 8/29/08 and was part of the Adidas/IU Credit Union Classic, with Akron triumphing by a score of 3-0. Both players started the game.

Chris Pontius

& Stefan Frei
Chris Pontius’ (with D.C. United teammate Luis Silva) University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB) Gauchos faced Stefan Frei’s California-Berkeley (Cal) Golden Bears once in the second round of the 2008 College Cup on 11/25/08. Both players started the game as Frei and the Cal Bears grabbed a 3-2 win in double overtime.

Carlos Ruiz

& Ryan Richter
Carlos Ruiz and Ryan Richter spent the 2011 season together with the Philadelphia Union. Ruiz joined the Union after he returned to the MLS on 02/22/11 from Aris FC (Greece). Richter was drafted in the first sound (fifth overall) pick in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft. Richter did not feature for the Union that season, while Ruiz played 14 matches (13 starts) and tallied six goals.

Luis Silva

& Toronto FC
Luis Silva was with Toronto FC from 2012 until earlier this season, having been selected in the first round (fourth overall) in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. During his time with Toronto FC, Silva played 48 games (33 starts), scored five goals and notched seven assists.

Casey Townsend

& Kyle Bekker
Casey Townsend’s Maryland Terrapins faced Kyle Bekker’s Boston College Eagles on four occasions during their college careers. Townsend (alongside teammates Taylor Kemp and Ethan White) faced Bekker for the first time on 09/11/09, when Maryland won 2-0 with each player starting. Townsend, Kemp and White also started against Bekker on 09/10/10 as Maryland and Boston College played to a 1-1 draw after double overtime. Townsend (and Kemp) faced Bekker twice in 2011, once on 09/09/11 and then again in the ACC quarterfinals on 11/08/11. On both occasions Maryland was victorious, getting a 4-0 win in the first game and winning 2-1 in the second. All players started both games, with Townsend tallying once in each match.

& Joe Bendik
Casey Townsend’s Maryland Terrapins and Joe Bendik’s Clemson Tigers squared off on 10/03/08. Townsend would tally for his Maryland side, however, Bendik and the Tigers claimed a 5-3 victory in the eight-goal thriller.

& Stefan Frei
Casey Townsend’s Maryland Terrapins faced Stefan Frei’s California-Berkeley (Cal) Golden Bears twice in 2008.The first game on 08/31/08 saw the Frei’s Golden Bears get a 1-0 win, with both players starting the match. In the second matchup on 11/29/08 came in the third round of the 2008 College Cup, a game that Maryland won 2-1 en route to claiming the 2008 NCAA Men’s Soccer national championship.

& Jeremy Hall
Casey Townsend’s first season with Maryland in 2008 coincided with Jeremy Hall’s final year with the team, and it was a successful one as the pair helped their school win the 2008 College Cup, the third in Maryland’s history. That year, the both players appeared and started 26 times for Maryland. Townsend tallyed 11 goals and added four assists, while Hall netted 14 goals and added seven assists.

Ethan White

& Kyle Bekker
Ethan White’s (and teammates Taylor Kemp and Casey Townsend’s) Maryland Terrapins faced Kyle Bekker’s Boston College twice while the players were at their respective schools. The first game on 09/11/09 finished in a 2-0 win for White, Kemp, Townsend and the Terps, while the match the following year on 09/09/10 ended in a 1-1 draw. Both players started the games for their sides.

& Joe Bendik
Ethan White’s (and teammate Taylor Kemp’s) Maryland Terrapins met Joe Bendik and his Clemson side on 10/16/09. White, Kemp and the Terps notched a 1-0 win over Bendik thanks to an early goal. All players started the game.